Face of Flyers changes with Pronger injury (With Video)

VOORHEES, N.J. -- From Ilya Bryzgalov's goalie mask out, the Flyers will not be the same for the immediate future as Chris Pronger recovers from an eye injury.

There will be a difference in their lineup. There will be a redistribution of their leadership. There will be new defense pairings, new communication responsibilities, new challenges. Even when Pronger returns, there will be a change in his equipment.

All of that will happen from Ilya Bryzgalov's mask out.

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In the other direction, nothing will change at all, for with or without the buffer of his most valuable defenseman, Bryzgalov will have to stop shots ... even the crooked, deflected and otherwise odd ones that have helped blunt his initial thrust as a Flyer.

"Not having Chris is a big loss," Bryzgalov was saying Tuesday, after a lightly attended optional practice at the SkateZone. "But everybody has got to step up and fill this hole. I am very confident with every defenseman on our team, with Chris Pronger, with Braydon Coburn, with Kimmo Timonen, with Matt Walker, Andreas Lilja. Every one, I would be very confident with.

"I would not trade these guys to anyone for anyone. Yeah, Chris is hurt right now. But everybody has to step up."

Toronto center Mikhail Grabovski inadvertently hit Pronger in the right eye Monday at the Wells Fargo Center while following through on a shot during the first period of the Flyers' 4-2 victory. Pronger left the game and was not at practice Tuesday, with the original projection standing that he will miss as many as three weeks.

Through text message, general manager Paul Holmgren confirmed that doctors ultimately will only clear Pronger to play if he wears a face shield, an option he has resisted throughout a Hall of Fame-level career.

Until then, the Flyers will stare straight ahead.

"You know, injuries are part of it," Peter Laviolette said. "Every team goes through it. You have to deal with it and you'd like to get by. We'd much rather have him in there. He's a world-class defenseman. In saying that, we were able to manage without him (Monday) night and we're going to have to do it moving forward.

"We've got great defensemen back there, a good core. I think we've got a good team in place defensively and I think we'll have to pick up the pieces of where he's not there."

Thus, the added burden on Bryzgalov, the Flyers' nine-year, $51 million investment in goaltending stability. Bryzgalov is 3-2-1 with one shutout, a 2.84 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage. So far, he has been, at best, inconsistent.

"Seems like every game we give up so many goals with bad luck," Bryzgalov said. "Last night, we had bad luck on two goals. In previous games, we had lots of goals on some deflections. But I think if we continue to work hard, the luck will be changed and we are going to be fine. It is a work in progress. The team works hard and works together. We communicate and try to find the right things to do, like how to simplify things. The more simple you play the game, the more like a genius you look."

With Pronger unavailable, beginning with a game tonight in Montreal, the Flyers will need all of their wisdom, healthy bodies and communication skills to survive the loss.

"Obviously, accidents happen," Maxime Talbot said. "It's unfortunate to see a teammate or basically anybody in the league go down like that. But it is a risk of our business."

It's a risk, followed now by a challenge.

"We're down to six right now -- six defensemen that we like," Laviolette said. "They're good players and we'll have to get by."

Then, they have to hope Ilya Bryzgalov doesn't let anything else get by at all.